Career
Jones formerly worked as a pastor at Fourth Baptist Church in Richmond, then founded the Village of Faith church with his then-wife Tanya Jones where he has worked as a full-time pastor since 2005. In 2018, the church had around 900 members and two locations in Sandston and Midlothian. [4] [1]
Richmond City Council
Jones was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2016, representing the 9th Voter District. [5] He was re-elected in 2020 and later served as Council President. [5]
In 2017, Jones introduced a proposal to remove Confederate statues, which did not pass. [6] In December 2019, he introduced a resolution requesting that the Virginia General Assembly grant Richmond authority over local monuments. [7] In January 2020, the Richmond City Council passed a resolution in support of that request. [8]
In June 2020, amid demonstrations, Jones and Council member Stephanie Lynch supported the immediate removal of certain monuments, citing safety concerns. [9] These discussions were part of broader city-level policy debates on the status of Confederate monuments. [10]
During the 2020 protests against police violence, Jones, then a Richmond City Council member, introduced legislation to ban the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and chokeholds by Richmond law enforcement. [11] He also called for an investigation into the Richmond Police Department’s budget, including discussion of potential reallocation of funds. [12] Jones spoke about the use of force during the protests and described the need for a shift away from a “warrior mentality” in policing. [13]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones supported the Strategic Plan for Equitable Economic Development (SPEED) which addressed disparities in education, housing, and healthcare. [14]
He remained on the Richmond City Council until December 31, 2023, when he resigned following his election to the Virginia House of Delegates. [15]
Virginia House of Delegates
In 2021, Jones filed to run against incumbent state delegate Betsy Carr in the Democratic primary, but was disqualified by the Virginia State Board of Elections over paperwork issues. [16] As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Jones serves on the following committees: Communications, Technology and Innovation, Counties, Cities and Towns, and Labor and Commerce. [17]
In January 2024, Nicole Jones was appointed to fill the 9th District seat. Despite sharing the same last name, they are not related. [18]
During the 2024 legislative session, Jones introduced House Bill 22 (HB22), which banned the manufacture, importation, sale, possession, or transfer of auto sears. [19] [20] [21] [22] The law classified violations as a Class 6 felony and took effect on July 1, 2024. [23]
In December 2024, Jones visited Red Onion State Prison following reports of self-harm among inmates. [24] He later announced plans to introduce legislation limiting transfers of inmates to high-security facilities more than 75 miles from their home locality. [25] The visit was part of ongoing conversations about correctional conditions in Virginia. [26]
In 2025, Jones introduced a bill which would have restricted universities from divesting from foreign countries that are not already subject to United States government sanctions as a counter to student protests calling for universities to divest from Israel; it did not receive a hearing. [27] He also introduced a bill which would implement a plastic bag ban in grocery stores, requiring them to encourage reusable bag usage. [28]
Jones resigned his seat on December 9, 2025 to run for Virginia's 15th Senate district, vacated by Lieutenant-Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi, after winning the Democratic firehouse primary for the Senate seat. [29]
Personal life
Jones was married to Tanya Jones, with whom he founded the Village of Faith church with, and the couple divorced around 2012. He married his current wife, June (née Cober), in 2019; he has two adult children and she has a daughter from previous relationships. [4]
In March 2024, June and her daughter were granted a preliminary protective order against him following allegations of domestic abuse and harassment. [31] [32] A judge declined to extend the order a month later. [33]
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